diff --git a/src/marshal.rs b/src/marshal.rs
index 343b861d..5e62e6b6 100644
--- a/src/marshal.rs
+++ b/src/marshal.rs
@@ -2,14 +2,32 @@
 
 //! Support for the Python `marshal` format.
 
-use crate::ffi;
+use crate::ffi_ptr_ext::FfiPtrExt;
+use crate::py_result_ext::PyResultExt;
 use crate::types::{PyAny, PyBytes};
-use crate::{AsPyPointer, FromPyPointer, PyResult, Python};
-use std::os::raw::{c_char, c_int};
+use crate::{ffi, Bound};
+use crate::{AsPyPointer, PyResult, Python};
+use std::os::raw::c_int;
 
 /// The current version of the marshal binary format.
 pub const VERSION: i32 = 4;
 
+/// Deprecated form of [`dumps_bound`]
+#[cfg_attr(
+    not(feature = "gil-refs"),
+    deprecated(
+        since = "0.21.0",
+        note = "`dumps` will be replaced by `dumps_bound` in a future PyO3 version"
+    )
+)]
+pub fn dumps<'py>(
+    py: Python<'py>,
+    object: &impl AsPyPointer,
+    version: i32,
+) -> PyResult<&'py PyBytes> {
+    dumps_bound(py, object, version).map(Bound::into_gil_ref)
+}
+
 /// Serialize an object to bytes using the Python built-in marshal module.
 ///
 /// The built-in marshalling only supports a limited range of objects.
@@ -27,33 +45,52 @@ pub const VERSION: i32 = 4;
 /// dict.set_item("mies", "wim").unwrap();
 /// dict.set_item("zus", "jet").unwrap();
 ///
-/// let bytes = marshal::dumps(py, dict, marshal::VERSION);
+/// let bytes = marshal::dumps_bound(py, dict, marshal::VERSION);
 /// # });
 /// ```
-pub fn dumps<'a>(py: Python<'a>, object: &impl AsPyPointer, version: i32) -> PyResult<&'a PyBytes> {
+pub fn dumps_bound<'py>(
+    py: Python<'py>,
+    object: &impl AsPyPointer,
+    version: i32,
+) -> PyResult<Bound<'py, PyBytes>> {
     unsafe {
-        let bytes = ffi::PyMarshal_WriteObjectToString(object.as_ptr(), version as c_int);
-        FromPyPointer::from_owned_ptr_or_err(py, bytes)
+        ffi::PyMarshal_WriteObjectToString(object.as_ptr(), version as c_int)
+            .assume_owned_or_err(py)
+            .downcast_into_unchecked()
     }
 }
 
+/// Deprecated form of [`loads_bound`]
+#[cfg_attr(
+    not(feature = "gil-refs"),
+    deprecated(
+        since = "0.21.0",
+        note = "`loads` will be replaced by `loads_bound` in a future PyO3 version"
+    )
+)]
+pub fn loads<'py, B>(py: Python<'py>, data: &B) -> PyResult<&'py PyAny>
+where
+    B: AsRef<[u8]> + ?Sized,
+{
+    loads_bound(py, data).map(Bound::into_gil_ref)
+}
+
 /// Deserialize an object from bytes using the Python built-in marshal module.
-pub fn loads<'a, B>(py: Python<'a>, data: &B) -> PyResult<&'a PyAny>
+pub fn loads_bound<'py, B>(py: Python<'py>, data: &B) -> PyResult<Bound<'py, PyAny>>
 where
     B: AsRef<[u8]> + ?Sized,
 {
     let data = data.as_ref();
     unsafe {
-        let c_str = data.as_ptr() as *const c_char;
-        let object = ffi::PyMarshal_ReadObjectFromString(c_str, data.len() as isize);
-        FromPyPointer::from_owned_ptr_or_err(py, object)
+        ffi::PyMarshal_ReadObjectFromString(data.as_ptr().cast(), data.len() as isize)
+            .assume_owned_or_err(py)
     }
 }
 
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
     use super::*;
-    use crate::types::PyDict;
+    use crate::types::{bytes::PyBytesMethods, PyDict};
 
     #[test]
     fn marshal_roundtrip() {
@@ -63,12 +100,10 @@ mod tests {
             dict.set_item("mies", "wim").unwrap();
             dict.set_item("zus", "jet").unwrap();
 
-            let bytes = dumps(py, dict, VERSION)
-                .expect("marshalling failed")
-                .as_bytes();
-            let deserialized = loads(py, bytes).expect("unmarshalling failed");
+            let pybytes = dumps_bound(py, dict, VERSION).expect("marshalling failed");
+            let deserialized = loads_bound(py, pybytes.as_bytes()).expect("unmarshalling failed");
 
-            assert!(equal(py, dict, deserialized));
+            assert!(equal(py, dict, &deserialized));
         });
     }